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J; T. SMITH.

UMBRELLA 0R PAIMASOL. I i o; 361,899. Patented Apr. 26, 1887 UNITEDSTATES PATENT Urrrcn.

JAMES T. SMITH, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

UMBRELLA OR PARASOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,899; dated April26, 1887. Application filed September 16, 1886. Serial No. 213,665. (Nomodel.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES T. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Umbrellas orParasols; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has relation to an umbrella which is closed and opened andretained open without the use of springs.

In Letters Patent granted to me June 1, 1886, No. 343, 07 9, I havedescribed and claimed means for such operation applied to an unibrellaopening and closing from the outside. I have found that when applyingthis principie to an umbrella opening and closing from the inside greatstrain is put upon the stretchers, which results in bending andrendering them the weakest part.

My improvement has for its object the strengthening of the stretchers,so as to render them inflexible, and to thereby render the principledescribed more practically applicable to an umbrella opening from theinside. By the means I employ for this purpose not only do I dispensewith a spring for holding the umbrella open, but I construct a top whichis far stronger in resisting pressure from wind or other cause, and formaintaining the cover smooth and taut when the umbrella is open.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure l is a side view, partly in section; Fig. 2, a plan view of astretcher re-enforced by a grooved rod; Fig. 3, a similar view of amodification; Figs. 4 and 5, views in detail, respectively, ofthere-enforcing parts; Figs. 6 and 7, details in cross-section thereof.

. In the drawings, A is the top; B, the grooved ribs, the inner ends ofwhich are secured to a notch, O, at the upper end of the stick.

gers in raising and lowering the runner upon the stick.

F is a metal ring 011 the stick between the runner and the rib-notch O,constituting a stop to limit the upper movement of the runner.

H are the stretchers, grooved as shown, and re-enforced by an additionalgrooved piece, I. The piece I is inserted with its open or inward sidewithin the stretcher,with its rounded back facing the open face ofthestretcher, as shown in Fig. 2. In this position the back of the piece Iwill enter the groove in the rib when the frame is closed. I may alsopass it underneath the lap at the junction of the stretcher, with therib thus re-enforcing the entire length of the stretcher. There-ent'orce I may be secured to the stretcher by having its endsflattened and riveted with the ends of the stretcher to the rib at oneend'and to the notch at the other.

L is a modification of the re-enforce, and consists of a round, solid,stiff metallic rod, as shown in Figs. 3, 5, and 7; or the rod may beflat or arched. Its ends are flattened and provided with eyes forconnection with the ends of the stretchers after it is placed therein.

I am aware that grooved umbrella-ribs have I been partially strengthenedby re-enforce parts to strengthen the lap at. the point where thestretcher and the rib are joined, whereby additionalstiffness to part ofthe rib is given to resist the action of the wind,while the outwardcurve of the rib is left flexible, whereas the object of my invention isnot to re-enforce the ribs at all, but to permit them to remainflexible, while making the stretcher rigid at all points. It will beseen by my invention that when the umbrella is spread and the runnerpushed up against the metal stop or ring the tension of the cover uponthe ribs is such as to create a great inward and slightly-downwardpressure upon the outer ends of the stretchers, which pressure, .whileholding the runner tightly to the stick, also tends to bend thestretchers at their center and to weaken them at that point. It is toprevent this bending and weakening that I have'devised thestretcherre-enforce.

It is evident that my improvements are parasol is closed the re-enforeepart will be adapted. to parasols as well as umbrellas. inclosed in theribs, substantially as described. 10

What I claim is In testimony whereof I'affix my signature in 'In aparasol or umbrella, a grooved stretcherv presence of two witnesses.

5 provided with a re-enforce part Within the v -JAMES T. SMITH.

groove to render the stretcher inflexible its Witnesses: entire length,in combination with grooved WILLIAMS. MARSH,

flexible ribs, whereby when the umbrella or 'ErMAWHINNEY.

